SOUTH Dublin County Council has agreed to an amended version of a motion by a Southside councillor that calls for the decriminalisation of drug use.
Cllr Francis Timmins, an Independent councillor in Clondlakin, raised the motion at a recent meeting of the council that called for support for decriminalisation “so people will no longer be made criminals simply because of their use of a drug”.
“People’s drug use should be dealt with as a public health issue rather than as a criminal issue,” Cllr Timmins stated.
“The resources currently used to process the 72 per cent of drug convictions that are for personal possession should be redirected to treatment and support services and to more effective policing of the drugs trade.
“I am of the opinion that it is time to decriminalise drugs so that a person found in possession of drugs for personal use would not be given a criminal conviction. They could be given a warning, a fine or be directed to drug awareness classes or to drug treatment. In cases where a person was found to be selling or importing drugs – or engaged in theft, assault, intimidation, smuggling, trafficking or dealing – then they would still be prosecuted under the criminal justice system.”
When asked to clarify which drugs the councillor felt should be decriminalised, he replied that the call was for drug use as an act to be decriminalised, not particular drugs, “as that’s a different argument”.
Cllr Timmins said that following decriminalisation, some countries, such as Portugal, had reported a reduction in drug use.
“Portugal has seen huge increases in the numbers of drug dependent people accessing treatment and significant reductions in the transmission of HIV and TB,” he said. “Over the past 10 years more than 25 countries across the globe have introduced decriminalisation. In 2016 the whole issue of how we look after and treat drug users will be discussed and I think we should be discussing decriminalisation.
“We owe it to the thousands of people and their families that are and have been affected by this worldwide issue,” he added. “We have being fighting a war on drugs and we aren’t winning. We need to look at new approaches and ways that help those and the communities that are affected by drug use. Drug use, mental health, homelessness, social inclusion, poverty – and this is not an exhaustive list – are all interrelated issues.
“The Health Research Board released figures for 2013 in relation to drug related death recently. There were 679 deaths, 387 of which were overdoses and 292 were trauma related. Many more people die by overdose every year than do on the roads.
“And deaths related to drug use, as is also the case with road deaths, is only the tip of the iceberg. Every death affects many lives and for every death there is much non-fatal harm suffered.
“We need an honest and open nationwide debate.”
After much debate, an amended motion was passed by the council, that reads: ‘This council calls on the minister responsible to examine the options for the decriminalisation of certain drugs possessed for personal use, and that such drug use should be dealt with as a public health issue.’